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HAYSTACK COMMENTARY
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MARCH 2026 |
CULTURAL APOLOGETCS DATABASE
ED NOTE=Zorek Richards Inclusion on this website to not necessitate agreement |
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When the Roman Empire and Christianity became conjoined, the result was a rich and powerful theocratic tyranny, the medieval church, that exercised mind-control and coercion and murdered dissidents. This is not what true Christians should desire or participate in. "holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these." - 2 Timothy 3:5 |
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March 13, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & POLITICAL BYTES
 Zorek
Based on reports from today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized a U.S. decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil as a move that could provide Russia with approximately $10 billion in extra revenue to fund its war efforts.
Key details regarding this report: 1) The Trump administration issued a 30-day waiver for Russian oil sanctions amid broader disruptions in the energy market. 2) Speaking in Paris, Zelensky stated that this easing "alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war," stating that Russia uses revenue from energy sales to buy weapons. 3) Experts cited in reports warned that this temporary waiver could allow Russia to sell extra oil, potentially boosting their war chest during a time when Russian public finances were under pressure. 4) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed the waiver would not provide "significant financial benefit" to Russia and was aimed at stabilizing global energy markets. Trump is helping Putin and throwing Zelensky under the bus. And all Trump's admin say "Amen!".
Critics argue that the US may have started the Iran War because, according to experts, negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff lacked sufficient technical knowledge to properly understand the Iranian nuclear proposal. Consequently, they allegedly misjudged the implications of the negotiations with Iran. (Which begs the question why is Jared Kushner involved in anything?...and Steve Witkoff is a real estate developer, so is this whole war just a rouse to get some real estate?) March 13, 2026
Church leaders urge Christians to resist Trump, warn of ‘authoritarian’ threat Some church leaders are calling on Christians to protest President Donald Trump as the United States prepares for its 250th year of American Independence. In a campaign that has recently surfaced at the beginning of the Lenten season, dozens of Christians and Christian leaders have supported the campaign by the group, A Call To Christians. “We are facing a cruel and oppressive government,” the campaign states. “Citizens and immigrants [are] being demonized, disappeared, and even killed. The erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms, and a calculated effort to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity– all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule.” (Premier Christianity; 3.13.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 12, 2026
As Iran war expands, some conservative Christians interpret the conflict through biblical prophecies As the American and Israeli war with Iran unfolds, some American Christians are speaking of the conflict in biblical terms, mapping end-time prophecies on to current events in the Middle East. In a sermon on March 1, 2026, for example, John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, described the war as part of a divine plan. “Prophetically, we’re right on cue,” he said. Later, he prayed that “God Almighty is brought onto the battlefield and the enemies of Zion and the enemies of the United States can be destroyed before our eyes. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered.” Meanwhile, Christian singer and activist Sean Feucht referred to “the end-time open doors of what (God) is going to do in Iran when this regime is prayerfully removed.” (The Conversation; 3.12.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 10, 2026:
Church Leaders Call For Christians To Protest Trump Our polarized era features unique and quasi-religious devotion toward President Donald Trump from his MAGA base, set against profound hostility from foes of his words and deeds. Church leaders in that second camp, mostly mainline and liberal Protestants, have issued a new plea worth noting for the extent of its supporters and a markedly fierce denunciation of America’s “cruel and oppressive government.” “A Call to Christians in a Crisis of Faith and Democracy” appears at the conclusion of Trump’s first year this term, in the 250th year of American Independence, and during a closely fought campaign for control of the U.S. House and Senate. The release was timed for Ash Wednesday as believers entered a period of self-reflection and penitence. (As it happened, it was issued just before the momentous American-Israeli attack on Iran, but the text has little interest in foreign policy). (Religion Unplugged; 3.10.26)READMORE>>>>>> The Latest: About 140 US troops injured, 8 severely, so far in Iran war, Pentagon says U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war’s aim is a popular overthrow of Iran’s government, and “we are breaking their bones.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump “is not making anything up” as he offers varying justifications for launching the war. The U.S. stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Tuesday after Trump’s signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets. The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 U.S. troops have been injured, eight severely.(KOB4; 3.10.26)READMORE>>>>>> In Texas Talarico Takes on Christian Nationalism: “It’s a Perversion of Faith” In Texas, one of the most conservative states in the United States, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has openly challenged Christian nationalists, accusing them of using faith for political purposes and confronting the state’s conservative evangelical wing head-on. Talarico, a state legislator and theology student, has turned his campaign into a direct counteroffensive against so-called “Christian nationalism.” The 36-year-old argues that Christian faith has often been exploited by conservative religious leaders to support right-wing policies– a practice he calls “fundamentally un-Christian” and “a perversion of faith.” With his message, Talarico positions himself as a Christian committed to following the Gospels, while criticizing those who use religion as a political tool to promote anti-abortion laws, weaken the separation of church and state, and place religious symbols in public schools. The rising star of the Democratic Party aims to put the values of compassion, inclusion, and aid for the poor back at the center of American politics. (VNY; 3.10.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 9, 2026
Who Is James Talarico and Why Is He a Rising Christian Political Star? These days, I’m asked more about James Talarico than I’m asked about any politician not named Donald Trump. Talarico is a 36-year-old Texas state representative and the Democratic Party’s latest and greatest hope for winning its first statewide election there in more than 30 years. He’s also one of the most faith-forward politicians in the United States. Talarico doesn’t just root his policies and ideology in his Christian beliefs, he’s a seminarian willing to dive deep into theology. When he’s arguing with the religious right about, say, Christian nationalism, he makes a specifically Christian argument to counter a poisonous Christian movement. (GV Wire; 3.9.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 8, 2026
Netanyahu’s prediction fulfilled as Israel reshapes Middle East - analysis On October 9, 2023, two days after the Hamas attack that would ultimately reshape the region, Reuters carried a short report on a meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held with heads of southern local councils hit by the assault. “Israel’s response to the unprecedented multi-pronged attack by Palestinian gunmen from the Gaza Strip will ‘change the Middle East,’ Netanyahu said on Monday. He was speaking to mayors of southern border towns hit by the surprise assault that began on Saturday, a statement from his office said. It did not elaborate on his prediction.” Let’s imagine the prime minister’s spokesman had elaborated. (Jerusalem Post; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>> How the Rapture Explains the Rupture Over Israel on the Right ground in American public opinion on both the left and the right, even as many American Jews feel newly besieged by rising antisemitism. On much of the left, activists and intellectuals increasingly interpret Israel and Zionism through anti-colonial and anti-racist frameworks, casting the conflict in the moral language of oppressor and oppressed. On the right, a different but equally consequential shift is underway. Influential conservatives like Tucker Carlson have come to view Israel as a drain on American resources, setting up debates with Israel supporters like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and ambassador to Israel. But the criticisms go beyond the MAGA movement’s “America First” isolationism. The turn on the right isn’t just about geopolitics — it’s about theology. (Politico; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>> A very dangerous person’: alarm as Pete Hegseth revels in carnage of Iran war Critics say brash, bombastic Fox News host out of his depth to guide US military through murky new Middle East conflict Brash and bellicose, he sounded more like a cartoon bully than a sombre statesman. “Death and destruction from the sky all day long,” Pete Hegseth, wearing a red, white and and blue tie and pocket square, bragged to reporters at the Pentagon near Washington. “This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.” (The Guardian; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 7, 2026
The Moral Reasoning Gap In American Christianity One of the books I’ve read in the last couple of years that has really stuck with me is Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind.” It’s a distillation of a lot of his work on how people manage to puzzle their way through tricky moral situations. For instance, he discusses the classic Heinz dilemma. A man’s wife is dying. A pharmacist has a drug that could save her, but charges far more than Heinz can afford. Should Heinz steal the drug? Some people would say that stealing is always morally wrong, even if it’s done for a noble cause. Others contend that the ends justify the means in situations like this. Stealing may not be morally acceptable, but letting someone die is even worse. (Religion Unplugged; 3.7.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 6, 2026
Why America needs evangelicals on the Supreme Court — and more Evangelicals are 23 percent of U.S. adults and one of the most loyal Republican voting blocs, with 81 percent backing Donald Trump in 2024. Yet despite six of the nine Supreme Court justices being appointed by Republican presidents, there are no evangelicals on the Supreme Court.This is just one of the many elite institutions in which evangelicals are absent or underrepresented. Evangelicals have excelled in politics, producing figures such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). They are also prominent in well-run and profitable businesses with relatively low cultural impact, such as food processing (Tyson Foods) and retail (Hobby Lobby). But they are all but absent from the leadership of prestigious universities, major foundations, Big Tech companies, leading financial firms and large media companies. (Washington Post; 3.7.26)READMORE>>>>>> 5 Reasons Christians Might Suffer and How to Respond to It One necessary prerequisite for suffering well involves wise discernment about the different kinds of trials we undergo, how to recognize them, and what response our Lord wants from us in each. Steadfast and patient hope in God is appropriate in every season, but there are certain times of trial in which repentance is necessary—and other times in which we absolutely should not change. God’s word helps us in this. It reveals to us distinct experiences of suffering, deepening us in wisdom as to their distinct reasons in God’s wise providence, what God expects from us in each, and what happy closure God has waiting as he enables us to endure. (Crossway; 3.6.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 5, 2026
WA senator refuses to apologize for inflammatory remark A Republican Washington state senator refused to apologize for using an offensive term during floor debate Wednesday to refer to people with developmental disabilities. Debating legislation to eliminate a program for people with developmental disabilities and also a history of violent behavior, Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, argued “we’re putting rapists in with retarded people.” The comment drew immediate criticism and tears on the Senate floor. The Senate Republican leader on Thursday apologized for Christian’s remarks without name-checking the member of his caucus. He also said reprimanding Christian was “under discussion.” (Washington Standard; 3.5.26)READMORE>>>>>> Review: ‘Chosen Land’ by Matthew Avery Sutton There’s a true gospel, and there are false gospels. There are believers in historic Christianity, and there are unbelievers. People genuinely remade by the gospel don’t seek to remake the gospel. But this isn’t the way Matthew Avery Sutton—the Claudius O. and Mary Johnson distinguished professor and chair in history at Washington State University—describes American Christianity in his new book Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity. As evident by his subtitle, Sutton contends that, in their 500-year quest to turn North America into a holy land, Christians have repeatedly reinvented their faith with virtually nothing tying the reinventions together in the way of creed or idea. (Gospel Coalition; 3.5.26)READMORE>>>>>> Christians Divided on Iran War Cite Alarm, Prophecy The Trump administration’s decision to launch an attack on Iran on Saturday has met with division among prominent Christian voices. Some evangelicals shaped by premillennial dispensationalism view the war through a lens of Revelation’s apocalyptic prophecy about the final day of judgment, while others support or oppose the attack for varying reasons. Christians preaching end-times rhetoric include Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie and televangelist John Hagee. Laurie connected modern day Russia to “Magog,” from the book of Ezekiel chapter 38 which prophesies that Magog will attack Israel and be destroyed by God in recompense. “One of the allies of Magog is Persia,” Laurie determined, “now known as Iran.” Although he does not believe Magog has yet attacked Israel, he calls for Christians to be prepared for the Rapture to come after. (Juicy Ecumenism; 3.5.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 4, 2026
James Talarico Wins Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate Race in Texas State Rep. James Talarico, the 36-year-old former middle school teacher who built a national profile by fusing progressive politics with unapologetic Christian faith, won the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in Texas, the Associated Press called early Wednesday after Tuesday’s election, defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in one of the most closely watched and expensive primaries in the country. “Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope,” Talarico told a crowd of supporters just after midnight, as he held a commanding lead. “And a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.”(Time; 3.4.26)READMORE>>>>>> Christian nationalism is surfacing in the war on Iran in a shocking wayPresident Donald Trump can’t get his story straight on why he launched a war against Iran. But some commanders in the U.S. military are apparently telling service members that they’re on a mission to fulfill biblical prophecy. The independent journalist Jonathan Larsen reported that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has received more than 110 complaints from service members about their commanders’ religious gloss on the war on Iran. These complaints, according to Larsen’s report, came from every branch of the military, across more than 40 different units, situated in at least 30 military installations. (The Pentagon did not respond to Larsen’s request for comment.)MRFF president Michael Weinstein told Larsen that the complaints from service members shared a common feature: Commanders are describing the war as “biblically sanctioned” and “clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘End Times’ as vividly described in the New Testament Book of Revelation.” (MS-NOW; 3.4.26)READMORE>>>>>> The Syrian Pastors Who Stayed For pastor Valentine Hanan, war and displacement have been a part of his life since the Syrian civil war began in March 2011. Raised in Aleppo, he has moved four times with his family to escape the fighting. During the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by a coalition of Islamist rebel forces in December 2024, he returned to Aleppo, where he serves believers from the Kurdish minority group at Christian Evangelical Alliance Church of Aleppo. Throughout 2025, Hanan and his church weathered sporadic armed clashes in the city. But in January this year, tensions between the Syrian government and Kurdish militants escalated to new heights. Fierce fighting in the Aleppo neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh forced Hanan and other church members living in the area to flee their homes. (Christianity Today; 3.4.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 3, 2026
‘Theology serves to proclaim the Gospel,’ Pope tells theologians Pope Leo XIV received the members of two Italian theological faculties on March 2 and emphasized that “theology serves to proclaim the Gospel, hence it is an integral and fundamental part of the Church’s mission.” “Theological formation is not destined for a few specialists, but is a call addressed to everyone, so that every person may explore the mystery of faith and receive useful tools to carry out with passion the persevering commitment to a social and cultural meditation on the Gospel,” Pope Leo said to members of the Theological Faculty of Puglia and of the Theological Institute of Calabria. The Pontiff also called on the theologians to “do theology together,” by “leaving our safe harbor, going beyond our territorial and ecclesial boundaries, in encounter, in mutual listening and dialogue, in the communion between Churches that brings together resources, skills and charisms.” (Catholic Culture; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>> 'Psychopath doomsday cultist': Trump's spiritual adviser attacked over Iran President Donald Trump’s personal spiritual adviser, Pastor Paula White-Cain, was called a “psychopath doomsday cultist” by a conservative commentator. “Not only is this psychopath doomsday cultist Trump's spiritual advisor, but Trump also created a special office for her in February called the White House Faith Office, where she is a senior advisor,” journalist Pedro L. Gonzalez from the conservative Chronicles Magazine posted on X. “White once said, ‘To say no to President Trump is to say no to God.’” (AlterNet; 3.3.26)READMORE>>>>>> American Christianity Is More Than Its Politics Writing a comprehensive history of American Christianity is a mammoth undertaking that few historians attempt. It’s been more than half a century since the best-known landmark in the field—Sydney Ahlstrom’s 1,100-page A Religious History of the American People—and after that, some scholars expected we’d never see such an ambitious work again. (Christianity Today; 3.3.26)READMORE>>>>>> Staunton clergy call Christian Nationalism a sin On Feb. 9, the Augusta County Voices of Faith posted a letter on Substack signed by 23 ecumenical clergy in Staunton and Augusta County speaking against the rise of Christian Nationalism. Drafted by The Rev. Cara Ellen Modisett, Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton; Rev. Daniel Hess, Christ Lutheran Church, Staunton; and Rev. Brett Isernhagen, Christ United Methodist Church, Staunton, the letter encourages “the holy work of love” in action as well as in words, the reverends said. "We also hope to inspire more signatories as the letter becomes public." The News Leader reached out to reverends Modisett, Hess and Isernhagen with questions about why they drafted the letter, its purpose, discussions surrounding the letter and what they hope it'll accomplish. You can read the letter in full below. (News Leader; 3.3.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 2, 2026
'The Return Of Jesus Is Back On The Menu': MAGA Evangelicals Celebrate The Attack On Iran When Israel launched an attack on Iran in June of 2025, religious-right activists celebrated, excited by the prospect that it could precipitate the End Times and the return of Jesus Christ. Predictably, these same religious-right activists are once again overjoyed after the United States and Israel began jointly bombing Iran over the weekend, killing the nation's supreme leader and dozens of top military commanders. While the attack has generated retaliatory strikes and fears of a wider Middle East war, evangelical Trump supporters are gushing over President Donald Trump's action, with megachurch pastor Jack Hibbs declaring that "for such a time as this, this man is being led by God." (People For the American Way; 3.2.26)READMORE>>>>>> March 1, 2026
What each side wants in the Homeland Security shutdown standoff The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than two weeks, jeopardizing airport security, disaster relief, coastline safety and even pay for members of the Secret Service as they guarded the president during the State of the Union. The Trump administration sent its latest proposal to Senate Democrats to reopen the agency on Feb. 27, but negotiations between the White House and Capitol Hill have been happening largely behind closed doors. There's still no end in sight to the funding impasse. Members of both parties have continued talking past each other, at least publicly, in recent days. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters Feb. 25 that the Trump administration had yet to start negotiating earnestly about demands to overhaul federal immigration enforcement. (USA Today 3.1.26) READMORE>>>>> February 28, 2026
OPINION: Another virus: Christian nationalism “I’ve come to view Jesus the way I’ve come to view Elvis. I love the guy, but some of his fan clubs terrify me.” So writes John Fugelsang, a comedian; but, on this topic, he’s not out for laughs. His best-selling 2025 book is entitled Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. “Christian” nationalism is neither Christian nor patriotic. It is an insidious betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth for secular power, having morphed from a fringe blasphemy into being on full display at the January 6 Capitol insurrection, where cross and flag were waved and woven together. Spreading like a virus, C/n has a presence now in nearly every community in the USA. Trump and his enablers have tapped into the netherworld of the national psyche with the idea that Christianity is “under siege” by hostile (even “demonic”) forces, so that he could paint himself as Defender of the Faith --Trump, of all people! (Lewiston News-Argus 2.28.26)READMORE>>>>> Iran After the Ayatollah How should American Christians think about Iran, which US and Israeli forces are now attacking with the stated aim of overthrowing its Islamist regime? Saturday night, President Donald Trump announced that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei had been killed in a strike, and Iranian state media soon confirmed it. And since late December, Iran’s dictatorship has reportedly killed thousands of anti-government protesters, which has been typical of its repressive theocratic rule across 47 years. Historically known as Persia, Iran is a rare nation to have endured since Bible times. Straddling the crossroads of the world, it sits on the Persian Gulf, with Russia to the north, Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, Iraq and Turkey to the west, and the wealthy oil sheikhdoms to the south. (Christianity Today 2.28.26)READMORE>>>>> The Sin of Empathy Rev Dwain Lee said Christian nationalism is rooted in Dominionist theology — “this idea that we just can’t sit around and wait for Jesus to return. We’ve got to create this world that’s ready for him.” Lee also said that Dominionism includes the Seven Mountains Mandate, which holds that conservative Christians must control a septet of key American institutions: education, religion, family, business, government, arts, and the media. “Their goal is to capture all seven of those ‘mountains’ in a very forceful and macho, chest-thumping way,” said Lee. “They say the meek and mild Jesus was for a different era and they point to Revelation where Jesus is so powerful and forceful.” But he said Christian nationalists seem to have forgotten why Jesus is so militant. The pastor pointed to Matthew 25:31-46. “This is the one place in the New Testament where Jesus discusses what the final judgment was going to be like.” Christ, Lee added, “explains that you are going to be judged by whether you had empathy for suffering folk. So who is Jesus being militant against? The people who were not exhibiting empathy.” --Brian Kaylor; A Public Witness; Brave Sermon Exposes Christian Nationalism 1.22.26 February 27, 2026
Trump says more people are turning to religion. Let’s check the data. “I’m very proud to say that during my time in office, both the first four years and in particular this last year, there has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity and belief in God,” Trump said. “This is especially true among young people, and a big part of that had to do with my great friend, Charlie Kirk, who — great guy.” Like so many of Trump’s claims, this one is false.Only about a quarter of adults under age 30 said they were very familiar with Kirk at the time of his death, according to polling from YouGov — an equivalent level of familiarity as was seen among those age 30 to 64. Slice that population further, recognizing that younger Americans still skew left (meaning they were unlikely to be receptive to Kirk’s pitch) and that men and Christians (and male Christians!) are only a segment of it, and the idea that a detectable resurgence in religiosity emerged within that population, driven by Kirk, seems undeniably unlikely. Overlay the fact that Kirk’s project was political, not religious — however earnest his beliefs, religion was simply a tool in his culture war fight — and Trump’s claim is impossible to treat as accurate. (MS Now 2.27.26) READMORE>>>>> Christian Nationalism is backed by a third of Arizonans and a majority of GOP, survey finds A recent survey found that three out of ten Arizonans identify as either adherents or sympathizers to Christian Nationalism. This month, the Public Religion Research Institute published its report based on interviews with more than 22,000 people across the nation throughout 2025 to try to understand the level of belief in Christian Nationalism in the country, concluding that approximately one-third of Americans consider themselves as either adherents or sympathizers. Believers in Christian Nationalism are adamant that Christian views should take providence over all others, that Christianity should be the dominant belief system — and should not be separated from politics. Often, adherents advocate for a religious state that imposes Christianity on the nation. (Herald Review 2.27.26) READMORE>>>>> The ‘God Gap’ in politics is a symptom of a deeper problem Among Trump voters, 71 percent were Christians and about 60 percent were White Christians. Meanwhile, supporters of Kamala Harris were almost evenly split between Christians and the nonreligious (42 percent versus 45 percent). When the average American thinks about the political leanings of the average Christian, it’s more than likely that they conjure up a Trump supporter. But as someone who has studied American religion and politics through hundreds of surveys and thousands of data visualizations over the past decade, I must remind people of a simple fact: It hasn’t always been this way. (Washington Post 2.27.26) READMORE>>>>> February 26, 2026
Lima prepares to host the evangelistic festival 'Esperanza' with Franklin Graham Lima, the Peruvian capital known as “the city of kings,” is preparing to host an evangelistic message about the “true King” in a social and spiritual context marked by challenges and a need for hope. The event, organized by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and led by its president, Franklin Graham, is called Esperanza Lima and will take place March 7-8. With more than 11 million residents, Lima accounts for one-third of the country’s population and remains the political, cultural and economic center of Peru. Its name, “city of the kings,” refers to its founding Jan. 6, 1535, a date that coincides with Epiphany, which commemorates the wise men’s adoration of the infant Jesus. (Christian Daily; 2.26.26) READMORE>>>>> House condemns violence against Christians in Nigeria The (Florida) House has passed a resolution signaling Florida stands with Christians being persecuted in Nigeria. “The horrors that have occurred there are unfathomable, and we hope to bring more attention to this,” said Rep. Rachel Saunders Plakon, the prime co-sponsor, ahead of the voice vote passage of the measure. Rep. Kim Daniels’ measure (HR 761) condemns religious discrimination and supports inclusion of the African country on the state’s Countries of Concern list, along with China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and Syria. (Miami Times 2.26.26) READMORE>>>>> Thoughts on the Influence of Old Prejudice One day I was driving a fair distance to a York Regional Forest Trail to walk my dog and realized I had forgotten my phone, so my only other option besides silence was to listen to AM talk radio. I tuned into a talk show about Vache Canadienne (Canadienne Cattle) and their guest was a French scientist from the University of Montreal, where I had studied theology. She spoke of a number of her French colleagues and all that they are involved in regarding the latest research on the Vache Canadienne – and of course she spoke with a strong Quebecoise accent. I was raised on the West Island of Montreal and studied Theology at the University of Montreal, an all-French university. I love Montreal and Quebecoise culture, not to mention the accent. But as a young boy raised on the Anglophone West Island, I was exposed to a rather pervasive anti-Quebecoise prejudice, and as an ignorant and impressionable young boy I acquired a good dose of it myself: I saw the French as dumb and somewhat backward. By the time I was an adult, married for only a few years, I like to think I was completely over this, but my priest-friend from Washington D.C., on a few occasions, expressed a certain dismay at my rather cynical remarks about the French. So, it took a bit more time for me to fully appreciate the irrationality of the prejudice that took root in my childhood. I like to think I have arrived and I do believe so. However, during this radio talk show on the Vache Canadienne, I became aware of a layer buried deep within me, like an early layer of soil underneath multiple layers formed centuries later; this was an old layer of prejudice that, when allowed to speak without the censorship of a conscious and enlightened mind, quietly suggested that these people are not really scientists in the true sense of the word, but “pretend” scientists – at best secondary scientists – trying to emulate the English ones. Now, this is a completely irrational thought which has no place in my conscious assemblage of convictions, but I was intrigued to sit back in silence and watch it spontaneously rear its ugly head. I was amazed at how enduring the childhood prejudices – picked up from the adults in one’s young life – are. . (Where Peter Is 2.26.26) READMORE>>>>> February 24, 2026
‘This is our 1933,’ Jones warns
Robert P. Jones addresses the Compassion and Justice Conference. “This is our 1933,” Robert P. Jones told the FaithWorks “Compassion and Justice” conference Feb. 20 in Austin, Texas. Jones, founder and president of Public Religion Research Institute, was a keynote speaker at the event held at Riverbend Church. FaithWorks, formerly known as Fellowship Southwest, sponsors the annual gathering. Jones reviewed findings from the latest national polling conducted by his firm, Public Religion Research Institute, on Christian nationalism. Then he previewed some of the content of his forthcoming book, Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy. (Baptist News Global; 2.24.26)READMORE>>>>>
February 23, 2026
Democrats have a new secret weapon for the 2026 midterms: Pastors President Donald Trump carried the congressional district by 10 points in 2024. Two years later, Democrats are hoping to flip it — possibly with the help of a pastor-turned-politician. Across the midterm map this year, Democrats are increasingly turning to seminarians and ordained pastors in key races, betting that faith-forward candidates can help chip away at the GOP’s dominance among religious voters — and offer an alternative to the right’s Christian nationalist rhetoric. In Iowa’s 2nd congressional district, two of the candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee have a shared background: church leadership. (MS.NOW 2.23.26) READMORE>>>>> There’s nothing Christian about “Christian” nationalism When CBS’ Late Show host Stephen Colbert invited Texas Senate candidate James Talarico to be a guest this week, attorneys for the network advised that Donald Trump appointee Brendan Carr would likely consider Talarico’s appearance a violation of FCC rules. Colbert decided to host Talarico anyway, post the interview to YouTube and skewer the network that has already canceled his show for capitulating to the Trump administration’s intimidation tactics. To date, the interview has had more than 8 million views on YouTube. The segment is titled, “Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas State Legislature.” Colbert and Talarico had good reason to highlight the problem of religious nationalism. For half a century in American public life, a political force has attempted to use Christian faith and “traditional values” to turn back the gains of the 20th century’s civil and human rights movements. Donald Trump came to power by successfully joining this so-called “Christian nationalism” with the reactionary fears of the Tea Party insurgency and the greed of emerging techno-feudalists. The MAGA coalition that made Donald Trump president would never have gained power without the religious nationalist movement that markets the GOP as “God’s Own Party.” (Peoples World 2.23.26) READMORE>>>>> February 22, 2026
Evangelicals, Trump and the cost of silence in America For more than 60 years, I have been an evangelical Christian. I have never seen our moral credibility thinner — or our silence more consequential — than it is now. I am a retired evangelical pastor who, with my wife, founded Washington Cathedral in Redmond in 1984. (Pastor Mark Nsimbi now leads the church, and the views expressed here are mine alone.) For most of my pastoral life, I believed it was not my role to tell people how to vote. Full disclosure: I have not voted for President Donald Trump, though I rarely said so publicly. I was formed in a time when political disagreement did not automatically imply moral condemnation. Voting against a candidate did not mean withdrawing support for that person as president. Our democratic republic endured because disagreement was governed by respect, conversation and civic restraint. (Timothy Dale White; Seattle Times 2.22.26) READMORE>>>>> OPINION: God is nonpartisan, Jesus isn’t a registered voter and other uncensored lessons Democrat James Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, but thanks to an act of presidential bullying and corporate kowtowing, his important message echoed across the land this week. Fearing the sanction of President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) police, on Monday pigeon-hearted CBS executives killed Talarico’s interview with Stephen Colbert. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is already scheduled to go off the air in May — purely a “financial decision,” you understand — but this wasn’t designed as a test run. It was blatant censorship. Wielding the FCC like a cudgel, the president continues to intimidate comedians and news networks. As Trump’s popularity slides and midterm elections approach, he doesn’t have to strain to see MAGA-red Texas losing steam and the Republicans’ hold on their majority in Congress slipping. And yet too often his attempts to bully the networks have worked. (The Nevada Independent 2.22.26) READMORE>>>>> Faith leaders accuse White House Faith Office of stonewalling them Some faith leaders say they're being shut out by the White House Faith Office, alleging the administration provides access only to those in political lockstep while ignoring the impact of ICE raids on religious attendance. Why it matters: The office is taxpayer-funded and ostensibly represents the full breadth of American religious life. Critics argue it has instead become a political arm for conservative Christians. Catch up quick: President Trump created the White House Faith Office by executive order on Feb. 7, 2025, placing it within the Domestic Policy Council and moving it into the White House complex. (Axios 2.22.26) READMORE>>>>> February 21, 2026
People Who Left 'MAGA Christianity' Share What It Really Took To Step Away For many Americans raised in conservative Christian environments, faith once felt like a matter of personal conviction and community — not overt political allegiance. But over the past decade, the boundary between belief and ideology has blurred. As religious leaders increasingly endorse candidates from the pulpit and worship music shares space with patriotic anthems, congregations have since fractured over public health measures, immigration, race, and the policing of cultural “morality.” A viral video by nurse and content creator Jen Hamilton, in which she reads Matthew 25 alongside a critique of MAGA politics, crystallized a conversation that had been percolating for years: When faith and ideology clash, some believers choose to walk away because of their convictions — even if it costs them the communities that raised them. . (Huffpost 2.21.26) READMORE>>>>> The role of religion in tumultuous times: Different Colorado Springs faith groups unite under separate causes As the nation’s political divisiveness limps along in a perpetually severed state, pastors of different beliefs seem to have found a speck of commonality. It’s not in doctrine or religiosity but in like-minded unity. A few recent events in Colorado Springs underscore how faith groups with varying missions are embracing the concept of strength in numbers. Those range from the 20th anniversary celebration of Merge Pastors, an evangelical Christian group that includes pastors from 100 churches of numerous Protestant denominations, to an online training session for pastors and by pastors who were arrested last month for protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota, to this weekend’s “Confronting Antisemitism” conference that’s calling on Christian churches to oppose discrimination against Jews. (Denver Gazette 2.21.26) READMORE>>>>> February 20, 2026
What James Talarico gets wrong — and right — about Christianity By now, you’ve heard of the controversy surrounding CBS lawyers’ decision not to air Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas candidate for U.S. Senate James Talarico (D) — likely for fear of offending President Trump’s FCC. This all but guaranteed that everyone immediately wanted to see it. Media observers call this the “Streisand effect,” which occurs when an attempt to hide something makes it more famous — named for Barbra Streisand’s effort to suppress aerial photos taken of her home in 2003. ”This unexpected attention could give Talarico a meaningful boost in his upcoming Democratic primary. If he ultimately wins the nomination — and the subsequent Senate campaign — the ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas, potentially flipping the U.S. Senate to Democratic control. . (The Hill 2.21.26) READMORE>>>>> How MAGA learned to love Christian persecution It’s a familiar cri de coeur howled by conservative talking heads and Republican politicians: Christians in America are under siege. Although every American president, nearly every Supreme Court justice, and the vast majority of members of Congress, governors, and state legislators are Christian, conservative Christians bemoan their supposed dwindling political power. They falsely claim Christians are persecuted for merely expressing their faith. In the absence of real persecution, some Christians and their media allies simply invent transgressions, like the absurd myth that Americans can no longer wish people “Merry Christmas.” (Public Notice 2.20.26) READMORE>>>>> February 19, 2026
Which U.S. religious groups are most highly educated? Hindus and Jews are much more likely to have a four-year college degree than Americans in other religious groups, according to Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS). Seven-in-ten Hindus and 65% of Jews have a bachelor’s degree or more education. That compares with 35% of U.S. adults overall.On the other end of the spectrum, lower shares of evangelical Protestants (29%) and members of historically Black Protestant denominations (24%) hold college degrees. The shares of college graduates for several other religious groups range from 35% to 45%. (Pew Research 2.19.26) READMORE>>>>> February 18, 2026
3 in 10 Americans Support or Sympathize With Christian Nationalism, Poll Finds Roughly one in three Americans are Christian nationalists or sympathetic to the cause, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, also found strong connections between support for Christian nationalism and support for the Republican Party and President Donald Trump in particular. “I think the threat is (to) our democracy,” said Public Religion Research Institute CEO Melissa Deckman. “We found consistently that Christian nationalists tend to endorse more illiberal views in the sense that they’re more likely to embrace more authoritarian views, which can essentially be used to justify limiting access to the ballot for some people, or it can be used to use undemocratic means to stay in power.”
Where Christian nationalism is most dominant in the U.S Christian nationalism is now deeply entrenched inside today's Republican Party, according to a sweeping 50-state survey. Why it matters: The once-fringe ideology holds that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to strict Christian values, even as the country becomes less religious and more racially diverse.
Texas Senate race: Talarico appears on Colbert, Cornyn uses religious ad Late night television fans got a glimpse of one of the leading U.S. Senate candidates in Texas this week. State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Monday, Feb. 16, in a segment that aired on YouTube because of ongoing pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President Donald Trump's administration. “I think Donald Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas," Talarico said in a news release. "This is the party that ran against cancel culture. Now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, and what we read. This is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top. A threat to one of our first amendment rights is a threat to all of our first amendment rights.” . (El Paso Times 2.18.26) READMORE>>>>> 400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration on Ash Wednesday A group of nearly 400 prominent Christian leaders called President Donald Trump’s administration “cruel and oppressive” and accused the government of being corrupted by an aberrant form of Christianity, in an Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18) statement. The statement, provided exclusively to Religion News Service in advance, has a list of signers that includes a mix of denominational leaders, seminary presidents, scholars and leaders of prominent congregations. In it, they urged fellow faithful to commit to “greater acts of courage to resist.” “We are facing a cruel and oppressive government; citizens and immigrants being demonized, disappeared, and even killed; the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms; and a calculated effort to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity — all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule,” reads the letter, which organizers said was spearheaded by a group of Christian leaders who have been meeting regularly to discuss how to respond to the administration. (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>> February 16, 2026
Why New Atheism Crumbled It may not feel like it, but atheism in the United States appears to have hit its ceiling. According to the Pew Research Center, 2 percent of the country was actively, openly nonreligious in 2011. That number rose to 4 percent by 2021—but has remained constant since. America’s oft-discussed “decline in religion” is actually a story about a decline in church attendance; one’s investment in an institutional religious community is separate from belief in a god (or gods) of any variety. The unchurched “nones,” named so because they respond “nothing in particular” when asked about their beliefs by survey organizations, are a fast-growing group, to be sure. But a solid majority of nones still believe in a “higher power”—not often the biblical God, but in some spiritual concept like it. Even 23 percent of declared atheists proclaim belief in some kind of spiritual force, interestingly enough. The ranks of the truly irreligious, then, appear to have flatlined. And that might come as a surprise to those of us who followed New Atheism, an explosive social trend in the 2000s and early 2010s that was defined by its most popular intellectuals, known as its Four Horsemen: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. At the time, it seemed like New Atheism would never stop growing. So where did all that momentum go, and will the atheist faction in the U.S. ever make a comeback? . (The Dispatch 2.16.26) READMORE>>>>> Churches burned in 2006 mark 20 years of God’s blessings More than 100 people from Alabama and Mississippi gathered recently at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Panola to mark the 20th anniversary of what Pastor Bob Little calls “a blessing in the blaze.” Four churches in Pickens County, Miss.—including Galilee—were burned the night of Feb. 7, 2006, a few days after five churches were torched in Bibb County, Ala. Three college-aged students confessed to burning the Bibb County churches, and then two of the three also targeted the Pickens County churches. All three were convicted and served time in federal prison. Marvin W. Wiggins, Bibb County Circuit Judge, who presided over some of the trials and hearings related to the case, served as guests. (Baptist Standard 2.16.26) READMORE>>>>> Theology in the trenches: ‘Te tip of the iceberg’ I’m not a fan of lettuce – specifically, iceberg lettuce. It’s good when crunching your way through tacos in a bag, and it adds fluff to other dishes providing there’s more to it than that. It’s always better when nutritious ingredients are added as savoring with tastes budding over is always engaging. This leads us to another course served up as the tip of the iceberg – headlines in the news. Fact is, it’s the ingredients added that make it tasty, much like chopped lettuce. Vegetating upon it, one must discern if there is any meat to the story, or if it’s mere fluff. In other words, if this is merely the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest of the story? And not only what is the rest of the story, but what is the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Newsbytes must be chewed upon for a while in order to figure out if it’s mere speculation or factual. Whether fact or fiction, it always makes a better read if more is tossed into the mix just to mix things up a bit. Perspectives shift depending upon what is added. Whether what is written is about a person, place or thing, often it’s told from a vantage point to get more people to listen – to grab their attention. I suppose that’s why they used to holler out, “Extra, extra, read all about it!” (The Polit-Independent 2.16.26) READMORE>>>>> |
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February 15, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & POLITICAL BYTES
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According to Reuters Poland will launch an investigation into possible links between the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Russian intelligence, as well as any impact on Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Justice Department's recent release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender's ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business - both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges.
This week in Kristi Noem,: the Secretary of Homeland Security, fired a US Coast Guard pilot because her blanket was left behind during a plane change. According to the WSJ, the pilot was reinstated when they discovered there was no one else to fly them back.
The U.S. Justice Department's recent release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender's ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business - both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges.
This week in Kristi Noem,: the Secretary of Homeland Security, fired a US Coast Guard pilot because her blanket was left behind during a plane change. According to the WSJ, the pilot was reinstated when they discovered there was no one else to fly them back.
PBS reported that President Donald Trump falsely claimed he had eliminated a provision of the U.S. tax code that bans 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.
"People like me and like a lot of people, they want to hear ministers," Trump said. "They want to hear from priests. They want to hear from them. and you were restricted from talking about very important things like who to elect."
"People like me and like a lot of people, they want to hear ministers," Trump said. "They want to hear from priests. They want to hear from them. and you were restricted from talking about very important things like who to elect."
#PamGhislaneBondi #TrumpEpsteinFiles
#PamGhislaneBondi #TrumpEpsteinFiles
#PamGhislaneBondi #TrumpEpsteinFiles
#PamGhislaneBondi #TrumpEpsteinFiles
#PamGhislaneBondi #TrumpEpsteinFiles
The Associated Press reports that Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36%, the lowest it has been in his second term.
I remember back in the late 90s when Fox first came on the air, as a Republican I watched Fox and thought it was good. Although back in the beginning, they claimed to present both sides and people like Hannity was paired with Alan Colmes...and they would present both sides. I remember talking to a pastor at as church one day and he asked me what station I watched. I told him Fox. He did one of those arm gestures and said "yes!" I said why? He said because all the Christians are tuning into it. When Rush started coming on strong...with the Fairness act gone...everything changed and websites like Breitbart and Daily Caller and others took off. The information was bizarre and unproven, but, as a right winger I ate it up. I had clung to some teachings from Bible School though that was dominionist, but I liked the Biblical Law teachings. It got me to thinking. Anyway I went through the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, and the evil Obama and Hillary as a right winger. Trump coming and the fan club he was attracting made me take another look at things. I just honesty said something about it at a Tea Party web site and immediately got booted off. Something was wrong and my move away from right wingism was ending. I didnt vote for Hilary or Trump (was a #NeverTrumper but couldnt vote for a Democrat yet. After Trumps first term I never voted for a Republican since. WE have open primaries here so I've never declared a party just voted Democrat. No regrets.